The History Boys Key 20 Quotes Flashcards
“She’s my Western Front”
Themes: Masculinity, Sex and Sexuality, Role of Women.
Main Characters: Dakin
- Dakin’s Extended Warfare Metaphor about his sexual conquests with Fiona.
- Likened to the army warfare and the progress of WW2, presents sex and women as a conquest. Lack of respect to women and sex.
- He is seen as an ideal of masculinity to the other boys- due to this bragging of his sexual exploits.
- Dehumanising to women and their bodies, women as subservient to men and as an eleviation for male sexual accomplishment.
” I’m a Jew. I’m small. I’m homosexual. And I live in Sheffield. I’m fucked.” - Posner.
Themes: Masculinity, Sex and Sexuality, Success and Failure, Belonging/Indentity
Main Characters: Posner
- Repitition of 1st person pronouns and Listing of his flaws.
- He sees the flaws in himself and society sees them in him. This is showing his distress/ insecurity over not fitting in/ belonging in mainstream/ normal society. This feeling like an outcast is caused primarily in this part of the play in Posner’s realisation of his homosexuality and his admittance of that for the first time, without just presenting it/ seeing it as a ‘phase’.
- He is shown as being unconfident and insecure, which challenges stereotypical masculine traits of being self-confident and arrogant.
- Posner sees himself as a failure in every aspect of his character; Religion (links to anti- Semitisim still being rife in the 80s, also his classmates talking about going to church in their daily life and it being a large part of some of their's lives) Sexuality (The AIDS scare in the 80s meant that reinforced past anti- homosexual views in society) Cultural ( From Sheffield, a small, working- class background- he knows that he has little, if any, chances of success)
” not hither to been allotted an inner voice”
- Mrs Lintott.
Themes: Role of Women.
Main Characters: Mrs Lintott.
- Breaking the 4th Wall, during her Soliloquay. Also, Direct Address. Used for comic effect here.
- Lintott is speaking up for and being a perceptive commentator about the marginalised role of women in society and their lack of a voice.
- Expresses to the audience her inability to express herself amongst a dominating, male society/ environment.
” groomed like thoroughbreds for this one particular race”
- Irwin to the boys in his first lesson with them.
Themes: Class and Inequality
- Metaphor.
- Comparison of the upper-class and privately educated children that the boys will be up against for university places/ scholarships by examiners to “thoroughbreds”, to show how the ‘normal’ boys won’t be able to match up to the standards of the privately- educated/ elite kids that have been given the most premium education in the eyes of the examiners.
” And here history rattled over the points”
- Scripps.
Themes: History
- Metaphor of a train changing direction.
- This is presenting History as random, accidental, coincidental, non-linear, unsystematic etc.
- The metaphor shows the randomness of history and how quickly history can change direction and lead to a different outcome.
” History nowadays is not a matter of conviction. It’s a performance. It’s entertainment. And if it isn’t, make it so.”
- Irwin.
Themes: History, Truth and Lying
Main Characters: Irwin
- Irwin is teaching the boys his method of answering exam questions to make them exciting rather than factual.
- Here, he is telling the boys to not tell historical events factually and correctly, but to distort them to make them more interesting to the reader/ examiner.
- The way that Irwin is condoning the boys lying about important historical events shows an immorality to his teaching style and character.
” Truth is no more at issue in an examination than thirst at a wine- tasting or fashion at a strip- tease.”
Themes: Truth and Lying, Education.
Main Characters: Irwin.
- The comparison emphasises the fact that Irwin is influencing/ teaching the boys his way of thinking- that they don’t need to be factually accurate but they need to be interesting, exciting and unique. Shows quite an immoral side to his character and teaching style.
- Irwin’s use of alcohol and nudity (risque subjects) furthers his view of lying/ bending the truth in their essays to make them more ‘exciting’ or risque as he is suggesting that by simply telling the truth all the time, their essays will be boring.
” Because I was late growing up I am not included in this kind of conversation.”
Themes: Belonging/ Identity
Main Characters: Posner
- Posner feels like he doesn’t belong with the other boys/ doesn’t fit in. They don’t include him in a lot of their conversations (especially the more mature ones e.g. about sex).
- Posner is also isolated from his peers due to his religion and his parents.
E.g. when his parents complain to the school because of the Holocaust discussion and the singing, leading to him being left out of these in the future. He is told he is allowed to sing ‘Streisand’.
” Sir, I think I may be homosexual.”
Themes: Belonging/ Identity.
Main Characters: Posner.
- The Hedging here shows how Posner isn’t sure of himself, or his identity.
- And the modal/ auxiliary verb ‘may’ is showing his shame, in being homosexual, his not accepting of his identity he isn’t owning/ being proud of his identity.
“pull us up the tables” and “Get me scholarships”
Themes: Education.
Main Characters: Felix (The Headmaster).
- The tables that Felix is referring to is the League Tables brought in by Thatcher in the 1980s (when the play was set)- CONTEXT.
- The imperatives show Felix’s competitiveness and his drive to win and be better than/ beat the other schools. He is demanding these requests to Irwin. Shows/ presents education as being a competition (to be better educated/ smarter/ better than others).
” Mr Hector’s stuff’s not meant for the exam” -Timms
Themes: Education.
Main Characters: Hector.
Noun Phrase. Showing that Hector’s methods of education/ teaching is for life, not exams. He teaches practically, not academically. Education is presented here and through the character of Hector as being meaningful, life-long and not just for CVs/ qualifications but, for life.
‘stuff’ belittles Hector’s knowledge/ education style. Shows that Irwin’s ideas and education ideologies are influencing the kids, but it also shows that the kids understand that although they can’t use it now, Hector’s style can be used in life and practical circumstances- the kids understand Hector and his teaching style.
” People decide to do stuff, make moves”
- Dakin
Themes: Sex/ Sexuality.
Main Characters: Dakin.
- Links to Dakin’s previously used Extended Warfare Metaphor. To expand, in this scene there is a homosexual tension/ chemistry between the two (Dakin and Irwin). They are discussing the dynamics of dominance and submission through a thinly veiled metaphor of Poland and its border tactics (Extended Warfare Metaphor).
- The ‘make moves’ part is Dakin’s way to being suggestive to Irwin about making moves, which is typically quite a sexual and erotic term/ phrase.
- Shows Dakin’s character as quite confident, dominant and also sexually manipulative.
” our headmaster is a twat”
And
“ a condescending cunt”
- Mrs Lintott.
Themes: Role of Women.
Main Characters: Mrs Dorothy Lintott, Felix the Head (shows the lack of respect from his staff towards him).
- In these two quotes, Lintott is challenging female passivity and female stereotypes.
- She challenges the stereotype of female passivity through the use of frequent expletives. And by harnessing the derogatory male language used for female anatomy/ private parts to label men and mock them. Specifically the Head who is not just a man but also a figure of authority over her (her boss).
“a sprig of parsley”
Themes: Role of Women.
Main Characters: Mrs Dorothy Lintott.
- This quote is showing Lintott’s role as a perceptive commentator within the play.
She is mocking the Head’s obsession with the school/ boys having charm/polish. She is using the parsley metaphor to mock Felix.
“plainly stated and properly organised facts need no presentation”
Themes: Education.
Main Characters: Mrs Lintott.
- This quote is presenting Mrs Lintott’s simple and straightforward teaching style.
- Links to her disagreeing with Irwin and the Headmaster’s ideas of extras, polish or charm in exam answers.
- Presents education as being about facts, learning and understanding them. Straightforward and Simple- this presentation of education is shown through Lintott and her teaching style.
